I'm trying to salvage the last of my marathon training before lining up at the start of London marathon next weekend. It's a little desperate as out of my usual 10 week training schedule, I think that I've managed 4 or 5 weeks in total and that includes the last 2 week taper. I have an old scrappy piece of A4 paper with the marathon training schedule that I first used for La Rochelle, then Toulouse that I now consider to be my bible. It's covered in tea stains from its secondary purpose as a mug mat to protect the wooden flooring, and the ink has faded so I have to strain my eyes to see what the programme is for the following day. Today the announcement was 6 x 1000m at marathon speed (4:15 per km).
It was early when the alarm rang and the usual thoughts of "should I" or "shouldn't I" went through my head before I told myself to shut up, stop being a big girl's blouse and get out of bed. I set off for the run secretly hoping that I would make that special effort this morning and be able to run all of my intervals under 4 minutes. I got off to a bad start from my first paces along the road as I could still feel the tiredness in my legs, notably the hamstrings, probably from the steps and hills on Tuesday evening.
Tough. I had no choice but to get on with the session as I'd programmed the garmin and I wasn't going to give up now. I slowed the pace, delaying the moment when I would have to begin the intervals now that I was down by the river. Off I set and the first interval was easy on the breathing but hard on the legs. The recovery was 200m and then I'd start again. Each interval was the same, except in the fifth when I start to think about work and found myself day-dreaming for a couple of hundred metres before I snapped myself out of it. Legs were tired and didn't improve at all throughout the run and my breathing which had been easy at first became more and more laboured. Mightily relieved when I ran the sixth interval and was able to relax and warmdown jogging back to the house.
Intervals went as follows:
4:03, 3:58, 4:00, 3:56, 4:04, 3:58
So not quite under 4 minutes for each but average is just under.
10.3km all up in 47:56 or 4:37 average per km.
Footing
10 years ago
2 comments:
Hello James
reading your blog this morning so though I should drop you a line.
Seems we are about the same level of runner now so I'm interested to see how you get on in your future races.
All the best in London.
I'll be back here. Thanks
Thanks Scott. Nice to have readers comment on the blog. Please add any hints, questions, constructive criticism are always welcome.
As for the races: well the objectives are set. It's all about getting back to race fitness now.
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